Sunday, 5 March 2017

Captain Fantastic

Was introduced to this show by a close buddy of mine. And it was totally fantastic.

It basically revolves around an American family led by a Dad that has a contrarian approach to life and raising his six children. Instead of going through the public education system, Dad has decided that the best way to raise his kids would be to foster education through both experiential and textbook learnings, in the forest where his children will learn to build up physicality, mental smarts and a thought process that provides for critical thinking, coupled with a strong resistance against the consumerism, organised religion and big government.

His children are raised to be able to build a fire, skin a deer, read Plato, critique the bill of rights, compare and contrast different governments, eat clean, function at a high physical level, plan, execute and refine missions (such as raiding a supermarket), play a musical instrument at a proficient level, engage in personal combat, and to perfect other skill sets that are necessary to not just survive, but thrive in a jungle environment with just a knife.

And of course, the main protagonist faces obstacles along the way. No struggle, no meaning yes?

Society comes crashing on him when he needs to take his kids out of his own version of Plato's Republic. Grandpa, in all good intent, throws down the gauntlet and insists grandkids go through the normal school system. Is Captain Fantastic going to yield, or is he going to hold his ground?

Certainly one of the top 5 films over the last decade that has made me think - how do I, and how should I raise my hypothetical children in the future? Put them through the Singapore educational system which is surely nothing less than a wringer, or to home school them in qualities that will be essential to be a good human being?